The Inner Child
by ottomatic21
Summary: I get a second chance at childhood. What will happen? Please read and review! Comments would be most appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

The Inner Child

A Rocket Power fan fiction

By: Aaron Harris, Scott Sanchez, and Miguel Chavez

Summary: A first hand account of me going back to my 11 year old self.

Part I

All I can remember from before is going to sleep. I woke up under a tree in the forest, wearing simple but unfamiliar clothing…a red t shirt, black shorts, and blue vans. I looked myself over and found that I was smaller than I had been. Nervously, I ran to one of the houses to behold my reflection. I was the same, but very different. I was a younger version of myself.

I heard shouting, conversation, laughter nearby. The sound of many rollerblades skittering about on pavement, the occasional whack of wood on plastic. I knew who many of these people were, but again, something was different. They were real.

Then, the gang saw the individual. It looked like Aaron. "I'll admit, you look like Aaron and sound like Aaron," Otto rendered his analysis. "But…you couldn't be Aaron," Twister surmised. "Aaron is much older." "But remember, when we…" I quietly related a tale of some past experience to Otto. He nodded.

Sam spoke up. "I'm sure there's a completely innocent explanation for this, even if it's one that might not make sense." I looked confused in my childish state. "But, look at it this way, no responsibility," Twister stated. "What's going on?" I asked. "I'm supposed to be grown up! But, I am a child!" "I may need a minute to think this over."

"Maybe this could be a second chance," Reggie suggested, asking "What was going on with you and with your world in general?" I sat down and thought, "I guess my adult life for the past 5 years has been a wreck. Maybe this is a sign. What does it mean?"

I sat up and slyly smiled, "Well, this may not be all bad at all." "I mean, how bad can it really be? But, where can I live? I woke up here, and I don't know where I came from." Otto and Reggie thought this over and came up with a brilliant idea. "How about you stay with us? We'll talk to our dad about this. Stay here and wait for us."

"Sure," I replied. "I mean, I have nothing better to do today." Five hours passed and I was sitting and reflecting on what had been a weird day of events for me. "So, what did you hear from him?" Reggie replied, "Actually Dad said Tito would be more than willing to take you in. And then, Tito will enroll you in the same 5th grade class as Otto and Twister."

Otto had enough of this talk. Can we PLEASE go the California Incline? I nodded. "Sure, let's go." Unfortunately, Lars was there and waiting. "Who's this guy, he looks familiar!" "And who is this, this can't be a Squid!" I stared at Lars. "Are we going to race, or are you going to flap those STUPID gums of yours?" They raced and I won the street luge match by a landslide. I looked slyly back at Lars, "By the way, Lars, that reminds me. The other kids told me that you've been a real pain in the butt lately; that you're the local bully. Is that true??""Yeah, dork; this is my territory. So???" "Oh, nothing. They just asked me to give you a message..." Then, I kicked Lars in a very unmentionable place below the waistline." "By the way, see you in school Monday! Bust!" Otto and I shared a laugh and a woogie."


	2. Chapter 2

Part II

Tito turned out to be one of the smartest people I'd ever met. We hit it off right away, having a long discussion on metaphysics and ethics. The fearless foursome and their parents also took me under their wings, shopping me a couple changes of clothes here, a hand-me-down set of safety gear there, and treating me to such odds and ends as an old but very serviceable skateboard and a yellowed surfboard that Otto swore were "perfect for learning on."

Saturday morning dawned bright and warm. Otto rang me.

"Aaron, there's something I want to show you. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Yup. See ya then" I answered and hung up. I found that

Tito had laid out a pair of old sneakers for me along with a pair of swim trunks, and no sooner had I put them on than Otto came knocking at the door of the flat, wearing...trunks and old sneakers. I joined him down on the pier and he led me through some yoga stretches.

"I was talking with Sammy last night, about 'forest children' like you. Please don't go public with this..."

"'Such as myself'?" I asked, quite perplexed. "Yeah. Seems a few have shown up around here, from ...time to time, same way you did. Some times they..." (He hesitated, cranking out several pushups now) "...y'know, work on stuff that's bothering 'em like when they used to live in some other ...dimension, and later go back to where they came from. Other times, they just wanna stay on here and ...reinvent themselves in a new life."

"That sounds plausible," I partially agreed, "but what evidence could be offered to support that theory?"

"People's exhibit number one: my dad," Otto cited. "He's very smart, a talented athlete, and a good businessman and a good father. But, I've never met any of my aunts or uncles on his side, let alone either of my grandparents" -his voice now a little down - "'suming I have any...here."

"Doesn't necessarily 'require' him to be a 'forest child',

Otto," I counseled. "He could have been raised in an orphanage before accurate records were kept. He could be an only child; his parents could have had him when they were 'much older than normal'. There's actually quite a few ways your circumstances can still be accounted for within the limits of natural reality." He smiled now. "Of course, the opportunity to reinvent myself sounds rather attractive."

He playfully swatted my side. "Tag! You're it," he challenged. "Your job: catch me." Grinning, he sprinted for the boardwalk then ran off to the left, heading northward along the coast. I gladly obliged and took off after him as fast as my feet would carry me.

There was no denying though, this new body of mine was amazing; boundless endurance, enormous strength, precise reflexes. It--I--had fought like the devil the other day, and was now running like the wind as I followed Otto across a forest, through mud, up rocks, and over a hilly meadow. I had no trouble at all keeping up with him, until...we fell.

Otto led me hell-for-leather down a wooded path that pointed directly towards the ocean. I remember continuing to move forward after my feet left the ground, seeing the great clear water as it deepened steeply away from the cliff's edge. It felt oddly like flight as we shot a glance at each other, him below me in front off to one side, his confident grin assuring me that he had done this ...exercise numerous times before. He pointed his feet at the roiling sea as it rose to meet us. I did likewise.

SPLOOSH! Reality itself unraveled around me in a soup of salt water, bubbles, and blue-green. It had taken me the better part of two seconds to hit the water, but almost half a minute to find the surface. "THAT...WAS...AWESOME!" I bellowed, catching my breath. I barely noticed that I could now swim like a fish. Otto high-fived me and adjusted his shades, then we stroked for a small beach where I could see a marked trail leading back into town.

"You did pretty good!" he congratulated me.

"Thanks! What was the point of this by the way?"

"If you hadn't kept up, I'd probably have faked an injury and had you shoulder-carry me to the road head" he answered as we left the water. "Our crew, we have to be able to depend on each other. Consider yourself...initiated, Squid."

"That jump...had to be the better part of twenty meters!"

"Twenty-two. We needed almost ten meters of water to catch us. Good thing there's almost thirty there. C'mon, let's go have breakfast," Otto replied.

"Tag!" I challenged Otto, scratching his head playfully.

"You're it!" I charged back down the pier ward path, my friend in hot pursuit.

As I raced towards the Shore Shack, I bumped into an old nemesis of mine Lars. This time, it was four on one. I had no chance. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor of the Shore Shack. I awoke and Twister commented, "Welcome to childhood, Aaron. This is what I get every day." "Ow, I got a bad headache. Can someone get me some breakfast, please? I want eggs over medium, bacon, toast and orange juice."

I looked over my cuts and bruises. No longer could I take on Lars and his guys with my sheer size. I was 11 again and I was against four teenage boys that wanted to do nothing but harm. Otto reached over my shoulder to console me. "Aaron, this is a part of what happens when you are a kid. You just have to be better than those losers, like Lars."

"I was wondering where you guys were!" Tito laughed. "Though I did understand that you were planning some sort of ...unique adventure for Aaron. Speaking of which, you" (he gestured towards Aaron) "strike me more as an omelet-and-grits type of person. Am I right?"

"Well, just the classic eggs, bacon, toast will do." "Lars beat me up very badly. I'm not used to getting beat up like that. Now I know how you guys feel about getting tormented by that jerk." "One of these days," Raymundo pontificated, "Lars is gonna find himself in a situation where his bullying habits are of no help to him. I hope he cleans up his act, before his maker cleans his clock."

I just left out a sigh. "I want to get him back. But I should I have never done what I did to Lars. But, then again, I heard about the bullying that was done to you guys and wanted to stick up for you. Choices, choices."

Otto spoke up. "One thing I've learned from playing hockey is, the opportunity will present itself. Prepare for it, but don't force it." He grabbed a little envelope of two Advils from behind the counter and presented it to me.

I smiled. "Thanks, Otto-man." "I really appreciate all that you do for me and stick by my side, no matter what. I really didn't know what to do when I had no friends, no life, and no future."

"In a way, your situation argues heavily for the existence of divine providence," Sammy offered. "It seems you've been offered another chance. But with all the advantages of your prior education and study, I would keep my wisdom close to the vest; aim for pass, then aim for B. You don't wanna frighten anyone; trust me on this."

I looked a trifle puzzled. "You mean, I still have the knowledge of a college student, but I am 11?!" I just smiled. "Well, this should be a PIECE of cake then. Everything should not be a problem."

"I knew about your smarts when we were talking about the Forest Children," Otto whispered, raising my eyebrows.

"Yeah dude," commented Twister, "the last thing anyone should do around Lars is to present him with a behavior profile of narcissism and sociopathy. That would make him flip!" "Though it'd be a dead-on accurate one," Reggie ratified. "Maybe we should stop watching those prime time police dramas. They give me nightmares!" Twister said, and all chuckled.

I just looked around in confusion. "So you knew it was?" I paused. "Me? How did you know it was actually me?" Reggie spoke up. "From your behavior, your speech patterns, the way you groom your hair, your personal habits. Those last a long time in a person." Sam continued. "We knew that you were too much like Aaron to be, for example, Aaron's son, because he--you--weren't married and had no children. You recalled some unique experiences we had in the past; trips to the snow and all."

Otto picked it up. "All that matters to me is that you are you and you are here...by whatever method and for whatever reason and I accept you and respect you for that."

The four decided to go biking. Otto looked at his new found friend and said "Let's go, first one to the mountain wins!" The race lasted the better part of thirty minutes. I couldn't believe that I was keeping up with the four. I used to not be that quick and now, of all people I was keeping up with Otto. Otto looked back and it was a neck to neck race. I looked to his left and said, "Last one there is a Squid!" Suddenly, I tripped on a branch. Twister and Reggie grimaced at the wipeout. I got up and smiled. "Wow that was the best wipeout ever! Better than you, Squid!"

Sam objected to that, "Hey, I am the king of wipeouts." Then Sam slipped on a rock. Twister looked at Sam, "Case dismissed." It was getting late, so Aaron biked back to Tito's and the rest of the gang went back home. Tito looked at me. "Hey, new little cuz, enjoying Ocean Shores?" I replied, "It is AWESOME. Man, the 3 mile bike ride was gnarly!" "I am a little wiped out and I have to go to school tomorrow." "But I have no supplies!" Tito smiled. "Aaron, Otto left this note on your bed."

Aaron,

Hey, what's up bro? I know you don't have anything, so I asked my dad to get you pens, pencils, folders, and other cool gear. I want you to have my backpack from last year. I don't need it anymore, so I want to pass it on to my new best friend. Also, did you look under your bed? Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Take care, dude!

-Otto

I looked under the bed. It was Otto's old rollerblades. Just the right size, too! Tito came upstairs, "So, how do you like them?" "I'll take your smile as your answer. Go ahead; brush your teeth and go to bed, alright?" I got my pajamas on and reflected on my week as 'one of them'. It was about the coolest thing that could happen to me, and I couldn't get enough of it.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!! I woke up at 7 AM and there was Otto. I stared at Otto and gave him a hug. "Aaron, we're friends, but if you tell anyone about this, I'll whomp you!" Then, he gave me a soft noogie on my head. "Hey, cut it out, Otto!" Tito was downstairs and cooked us a French Toast breakfast. Then, we headed off to school by rollerblading there.

When the two of us arrived at school, we met Twister, Reggie and Sammy. I got my room assignment and my teacher would be Conroy. Twister and Otto smiled. "Looks like we'll both be in the same classroom together."

I went down the hallway, nervously. It had been about fourteen years since I ever stepped foot inside an elementary school. What would the other kids think of me? Fortunately, they would never know my secret and where I came from. I found my seat and sat down. Unfortunately, I sat next to Lars. "Aww, is the little baby ready for his next beating?" I just ignored this. Then a tall man of slightly over 6 foot 2 stepped in with braids and glasses. Conroy just stared at me, "Hey, have I seen you somewhere before? You look familiar." "No, I just look that way. And Lars' face looks like his butt." The whole class started laughing.

Conroy dropped the smile. "Good to see you have a sense of humor, what's your name?" I replied, "Aaron Harris." "Well, I'll let that one go for now. Let's get to long division. Lars, go to the board and solve 189 divided by 32." Lars replied, "I don't know. School is lame!" "Is that right, Lars? Well, you get detention!" Everyone started laughing.

One hour later, it was gym class. Dodge ball. I hated that. We started up a game. And before I knew it, I got KO'ed by a ball thrown by Lars. "See you later, dork! Haha!" Otto was there first to pick me up. "LARS, get back here!" I was furious. Otto held me back, "Remember what I said, Aaron. The opportunity will come later. He will get his uppance." Then, lunch came. I packed my lunch before I went to school. Peanut butter sandwich, chips, and a juice box. I didn't want people to think I was too 'adult' in tastes.

All of a sudden a food fight broke out. And Otto made me duck under the table ad mist of all the chaos. "Does this happen every day?" Otto groaned at me. "Did you forget? This isn't college anymore, dude." Otto whispered that into my ear.

A few hours later, after school, I got a snack at the Shore Shack and headed out to Madtown for some rollerblading in the Blader Bowl. In a way, Otto seemed to be my mentor to learn the ways of the kid. "Aaron, follow me and I'll teach you to grind." I fell a few times, but got the hang of it. Then, Conroy walked up to me and said, "Aaron, it was nice having you in class. I'll see you tomorrow." Lars came in and gave me a hard slap in the butt. "Teachers' pet! You are such a loser. Then, he proceeded to shove me into the bowl.

Once again, Otto was there to help me out of it. I just gave Lars a snarl, and he walked away laughing. I wanted to get him back so badly. Otto seemed to get angry too. "Aaron, there is a time and place for everything. It is okay to defend yourself, but not beat him up. Be assertive, not aggressive."

End of Part II


	3. Chapter 3

Part III

After school one day Raymundo took me and the kids from Ozone Street downtown while he did some errands. He dropped us off at an office called "Leslie Crumpacker & Co." Reggie and Twister were flashing the occasional grin at each other, while Otto and Sam mumbled to each other with hand gestures, nodding. "What's going on here?" I asked, curious.

"I think you'll find this interesting," Otto replied. Raymundo stopped the car and Otto led us towards the front door of the establishment. As we passed a window I could see a room full of foam pads of every description. Twister tapped on the window and a couple of boys inside briefly looked out at us, waving with a smile. Both were wearing big white open shirts, but one was bigger and stronger than Lars and had a full head of unruly dark hair, while the other couldn't have been more than 7 and very pale with thin hair.

As we entered, we were greeted by a woman who was almost certainly the mom of the bigger boy. "Oh good!" she cheerfully said to the others; "I see you've brought the friend we talked about. And what's your name?" she asked me. I politely introduced myself. "Well, Aaron, you and your friends go ahead and leave your shoes in the boxes over on that wall, and Assistant Sensei Lou and one of his students will be ready to guide you in today's lesson."

Reggie pointed to a line drawn on the floor where we stood and faced a curtain. The curtain parted, and the two boys we saw earlier were standing inside. The others bowed at them, and I did likewise, then the two inside bowed at us. They led us five into a large room lined with big colorful squishy cushiony things, and even the floor was made of this squishy cushiony stuff.

"Good afternoon, class. I am Assistant Sensei Lou, and I'll be overseeing your program today. Helping me out is one of my advanced students, Rod," the bigger boy announced, mostly to tell me who was who.

"Aaron," the smaller boy, Rod, addressed me, "I understand you've been having a problem with certain...bully."

Me, Rod, and Lou talked for a few minutes about this problem with some input from the other four, until Lou abruptly stopped me when I made an observation that a smaller person really had no hope against a bigger one. "Otto, would you have Aaron wait in the other end of the room please?" Lou commanded. I followed Otto and saw Lou quietly talking with Rod. Otto returned with the others to the side of the room.

"Aaron, I'd like you to run full force at me and knock me to the floor," Rod asserted.

"Are you sure?" I asked, analyzing the dare. "You'd probably get hurt."

"That could happen, but not by you, and not here," he nodded. "C'mon! Freight train into a trash can!" he reiterated the challenge.

"Your funeral," I thought, extending a fist as I sprinted towards the lad.

All I remember of what happened next was spinning through the air and digging myself out of a humongous pile of nerf blocks.

"What- How did you do that?" I asked, astonished that Rod was still standing without a scratch or a mark on him.

What- How did you do that?" I asked, astonished that Rod was still standing without a scratch or a mark on him.

"Well,..." began Rod, almost as Ronald Reagan would pronounce that word, "at the risk of sounding too esoteric, I made up my mind that you were going to crash and beef in that pile of nerf stuff. So, I just helped you to get there, is all."

"At the risk of oversimplifying things too much," Lou took over, "what I think Rod's trying to remind us of is that a lot of defensive techniques in martial arts involve taking advantage of an attacker's harm potential--his mass, his strength, his speed, even his rage--and re-directing it into a direction that is not harmful to us."

"Basically, when I saw you coming," Rod explained, "I crouched, leaned into you, grabbed your wrist with one hand, and used the other to push you over my head."

"That might work in a frontal assault," I observed, "but what if someone were to sneak up behind me and--" I grabbed Otto with both arms, like so;"--do that?"

"You sure you really wanna find out?" asked Otto, very calmly.

"Careful, Otto", cautioned Reggie.

"Well, just for the sake of argument. You are after all my friend and I'd never harm a hair on your head. But, what options would somebody really have in a situation like this?" I asked.

My answer came in about one second with Otto slipping out, then standing over me exerting a painful wrist lock, while I was flat on my side with his heel millimeters over my nose.

"Otto! Yamé!" Lou barked. Otto let my arm down and stepped back.

"Convinced?" asked Otto with a slight bow as I rolled to a vertical position.

"As ever," I answered. "Lou, where do I sign?" I asked, grinning.

"For you, there's nothing to sign," announced Leslie as she came into the room. "We just have this meeting here once a week, mostly a focus-research thing right now. Lou and his friends here are helping us develop ways of teaching the art to skaters, surfers, and other athletes, to help improve their performance."

"And their safety," offered Sam. "One thing we've learned, for example, is one of the reasons skateboarders suffer from broken forearms so often is they try to remain upright at any cost. But if you just let yourself roll in a beef--accept, for example, that your clothes are gonna get messed up, you might get bumps and scratches, LET the protective gear YOU SHOULD BE WEARING take that beating--that's a landing you're more likely to walk away from in one piece."

"And it's not just the martial arts we use," Lou continued. "Twister why don't you demonstrate the 'worm' maneuver?" He did so, and began rolling forward on his belly and bouncing in the air. "I learned that from break dancing."

"No, you learned it from me!" Twister corrected with a big grin on his face.

"Oh yeah! Just like Scotty Garland!" I recognized.

The gang and our guides spent the remaining several minutes demonstrating various techniques and drills. We had a great time, but all neat things come to an end. Raymundo got back from his errand and honked the horn on his old woodie wagon. Lou, Rod, and Leslie stepped out to wave us off while we exchanged a woogie.

I got into the car with Ray and the gang. We decided to get Wendy's, and Otto was playfully shoving me. "Hey, you're not bad at all, Aaron. You're a good kid." He, of course, was teasing me. Ray looked back at Otto and said, "Maybe you can take an example from him." I tapped Otto on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it!" Then, he proceeded to bump me into Twister. I accidentally let one out. "Not me, it was Twister!" Twister looked at me and asked, "It was?"

The dinner we had was quite delectable. My tastes haven't changed a bit at all. I guess, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Suddenly, I got a long face and decided to walk home with Otto. "What's wrong?" Otto wasn't always the most sensitive kind of person, but he knew something was up when I started to sob a bit. "Aaron, what's wrong? You can tell me, I understand."

"You see, the whole reason why I hated my previous life was the fact that my mother put me into a group home. I haven't enjoyed my job that much, and worst of all I feel like a complete loser. I'm sorry I never told you that. I kept the secret away from you, because, you know, you would be embarrassed to be my friend. That you wouldn't be my friend and I can't afford to lose many more people in my life."

Otto nodded. "As friends, we always have to rely on each other. You didn't have to do anything special to be my friend. As far as I am concerned, the circumstances of your life do not change the opinion that you are a very intelligent person who has a lot to offer to the world. Do not worry about what you will do later. Just relax and try to do your best!" I smiled. "Hey, Otto! Catch me if you can! I laughed like the kid I was. God was telling me that is was alright to be a child again. Then, Otto playfully tackled me. "Down! Once again, I am the man!" I looked at him skeptically, "Really? Then, you would have seen this!" I tackled Otto playfully.

Then, the bad news came. It was Lars. "Hey dorks, thanks for getting me into trouble with school the other day. You know, Aaron, you are a dork, just like those Rockets. Prepare for the beating of your life." Otto grimaced as if I was going to get it badly. Then, nothing happened. I grabbed his wrist and threw him down to the street. Otto just gave me the thumbs up. I just decided to walk away. Lars was getting angry, "We're not done yet!"

Today was Saturday, and I decided to put on my swim trunks and my blue vans and jog through the forest, where Otto and I did yoga stretches together. This time, Otto and Twister were there and the morning fog was starting to dissipate. Twister had his camera with him. "Hey Aaron, do a cannonball off the cliff!" I nodded and went as fast as my 11 year old body would carry me. The dive was perfect, except, I had lost my trunks. Otto and Twister looked down and laughed. "Hey, look, Twister, it's the full moon!" I got a good laugh out of that, too.

I swam to shore. "That was awesome, except, I am completely naked and cold!" Otto just smiled at me, "That's why they say at the Boy Scouts, be prepared!" He gave me an extra pair of trunks and a shirt to wear. I grabbed my bike from the Shore Shack to hang out with Otto and Twister for the day. We played Madden NFL 08, and I didn't lose my touch at all. Otto's team was the Chargers; Twister's team was the 49ers, and my team, of course, the Green Bay Packers. First, I beat Twister 35-14, then beat Otto in a close one 42-35. Otto looked at me stunned, "Man, you are good at this! How often do you play this game? "Never, I hadn't played a Madden game in a few years." Twister looked amazed, "Dude that was awesome! You are the best on the block."

I got into my Otto-type dance. "Thank you, thank you, no autographs." "Why don't we go surfing for a bit? Then, we can hit the Shore Shack for some burgers and fries." Meanwhile, Sam and Reggie were researching more into the 'forest children' in Ocean Shores. Most of them were troubled souls that wanted to turn around their lives. "So, that's why Aaron became a forest child. Look here, Reggie." Reggie took a look at it, "Well, it looks like Aaron wished to be a child again, just like in the movie 'Big,' only he wanted to be younger instead of older."

Sam asked "Well, what do we do? It's not fair for Aaron to remain a child forever." Reggie wholeheartedly disagreed with Sam. "Sam, Otto told me everything that's going on in his life. Maybe it's not fair for him to return to his adult form. I think for the first time in his life, he's happy again. Aaron is happy. He'll be an adult again when God thinks he's ready to be. Sam just looked confused, "What? This is messing with God!" Reggie again pointed out, "God only did what Aaron wished to do. He needs our support. He is rediscovering himself and is trying to think of the good things in life. And it seems about the only way to do that is seeing the things from the eye of a child."

Sam looked back at her, "But he would be unaware of all there is in reality, including the bad things." "Sam, look, if Aaron can have a positive outlook on life, then he will be able to handle the bad things that come his way." Sam nodded.

Otto, Twister and I raced to the Shack for some quick lunch and a bite to eat. "Hey, Aaron, you know if you remained a child forever, life would totally rock!" "Twister, be quiet, I don't want everyone to know that I am a forest child." Ray came in, "Who's a forest child?" Otto replied, "It is a nickname for the Menehune we saw in Hawaii." I nodded, "Yeah, I read that somewhere." Ray said "Children, they have all the imagination in the world." Twister nearly blew our cover. Otto and I looked at him with a snake eye. Twister got the message.

I elbowed Twister. "Tag, you're it! I ran down to the beach, making sure my trunks were still on. They chased me down to the beach, where they both just playfully noogied me in the head. "Hey, stop it!" I giggled a bit, and then started to surf. I barely knew how to surf, as I never lived in California in my lifetime. Pretty much, on a surfboard, I had the coordination of a 2 year old. I kept wiping out. Otto instructed me. "Plant your feet here and bend down like this." "Oh, like this!" "That's the spirit, Aaron!" I couldn't believe it, I was surfing my first wave. "I did it!" Lars, then out of nowhere, started laughing at me. "Little baby doesn't know how to surf. Do you need your water wingies?" Twister looked back at him, "Shut up, Lars, this was his first time surfing!"

He then proceeded to shove Twister off his board. I tried to give chase, but he escaped. "Get back here, Lars!" "See you in school, lameos!" I picked up Twister. "Are you okay, there, bro?" "Yeah, it's all part of being a little brother." I really wanted to get him back for this. We decided to just grab a football and throw it around a bit for a few hours. Otto remarked, "Aaron, you seem to really enjoy being a kid. I'll call you tomorrow morning and see what we can do. I mean, there's no school Sunday, and you got your work done quickly. Can you help us with our homework, Aaron?" Sure, I replied. "Got to help my friends out!" Somehow, it was 8 PM, and I was already tired. My internal clock probably changed when I got younger.

I changed into my simple red shirt and black shorts, brushed my teeth and lied down. I reflected again at what this whole situation meant. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Did I make the right choice by wishing to be a child again? Or, did it just introduce another set of problems for me to conquer? Overall, though I was satisfied with it. Being a child made me see things in a positive light that much easier for myself. I couldn't wait until tomorrow for the next adventure in my new childhood.

End of Part III


	4. Chapter 4

Part IV

Late that night there was a brief flash of light in the forest. A form wearing a dark colored hoodie rose painfully from the ground, then shook off leaves, dust, and twigs. The figure gasped nervously, running to pause at the edge of the street. Confidently, it headed for a split-level brown house, and gave a bird call. In an instant a teenage boy wearing a gray toque on his head and boardshorts around his lanky frame opened the front door. "Been a long time, old friend," he greeted the visitor. "Likewise," the newcomer chuckled in a dark voice.

"What brings you here?" I asked. "You see, I protect the forest children. I am that spirit that watches over these troubled souls." "But, you just look like a teenager," I stated nervously. "That's because I can take any form I want to," the spirit said. "Now, you have a problem with your life, I take? That's why I brought you here."

"Let's talk," I said, stepping into a pair of flip-flops as I encountered the cool but comfortable night air. "By the way what should I call you?" "I am of many names and many places," he replied. "Some call me Ananse, others think of me as Akela. But a wise poet called me Oberon. I rather like that one. I explained my case to Oberon and he nodded as he took in each detail. He went on to explain "the big picture" of what was happening.

"Aaron in South Bend is still accounted for. Through you, as a projection of him in Ocean Shores, he gains strength, wisdom and the understanding to deal with the issues of his life. Each of you is a projection, he of you and you of him. That's why you recall what you do." I looked quite trifled. "So, I don't really exist, or is he really me? Am I just a mere shadow of his only to wake up from something that never existed in the first place?

"Both you and he are very real. For lack of a better word that could be understood by your science or your theology, …consciousness has been drag-copied to the body which stands before me. It is the same consciousness. It is like having a clone whose…viewpoint you can occupy at will. All you would need to do is concentrate, but you will be able only at the proper time."

The next moment I am at my bed at the crack of dawn after a perfectly restful sleep. Twister and Otto were at the door for me, with surfboards racked on their bicycles. "A perfect day for your next lesson, we're going up to the secret spot!" "For what lesson? I don't understand at all." I forgot all the question and raced the boys down to the spot, which was a good three miles south.

When there, I got out a notepad, writing to my older self. Maybe that would be a way to communicate with him.

Aaron,

Do you know me? Because you knew me at one time. I am the younger version of yourself. The reason why I am writing you is because you have lost touch with what makes you pure and whole. Your inner child is crying for you to come out of it. There are many disappointments in life, but know that if you just relax and take a deep breath and remember the good times, life will be easier. Please, don't give up. For my current state and your future state, just don't give up hope. I hope you realize that I am just as real as you are. I'd like you to visit sometime, so we can sit down and chat.

Yours,

Younger Aaron

End of Part IV


	5. Chapter 5

Part V

I decided to take a little jog to the beach in the night. There I saw a figure, about my size. He was wearing a green shirt, blue jean shorts and Adidas shoes. I sat down at the tree with him to ask him a few questions. "Rod's the name, surfing is my game." After forty-five minutes of talking, it seemed that we had a lot in common. Same ice cream, same kind of pizza, video games, you know kid stuff. Rod asked me a question, "You are pretty advanced for an 11 year old, but are you a forest child, by chance?" I collected myself before saying, "Rod, yes I am. Or at least I think I am." Rod stated, "I am too, or at least I think I am." I asked him why he would think that.

"Well on days like these, I always get the feeling that somehow, I was given a second chance. You know, as if I was, or had been, someone else before. I am nine years old, and yet sometimes I feel…well…like I have an old soul, you know? Like I didn't belong here, and yet I had finally found my place on earth. It's funny, but I can barely remember how life was before I met Otto and the gang. And let me tell you something; were it not for them, I… don't think I'd still be here, brah. They've given me…strength, friendship, and the will to struggle every day to go on and be healthier. They're really good friends, y'know??"

I was stunned. "So you're 9?! I thought you were 7 at most! You look very small for your age; why??" Rod responded accordingly. "Well, that's the thing, Aaron. Yeah, I've been sick, and perhaps that has to do with my small height and my complexion…but well…I can't remember much of my disease. It's like that part had been erased, or at least sent to a backroom. I do remember I met Sammy while in the hospital (from A Close Call). I remember he was there for an accident he had while playing hockey. But before that…I do think I had been in the hospital for a while before that, but I can't quite remember… I tell you, it's like I had been given a second chance, as if I had finished my…job here, gone, and then returned somehow. It's funny, but sometimes I do have a vague memory of…other cities, other people; I'm sure I haven't met them before, and surely I didn't see them on TV. But they look so real sometimes…"

I spoke out. "I also have memories of other events in my life. But tell me, how did you…I mean, what makes you think I am a forest child??" Rod looked me square in the eyes. "Because I see wisdom in your eyes. It's like you've lived a lot of things more than you should have for your age. I might be crazy, but, I can't see that in Otto's or Twister's. Your visage reminds me more of Raymundo or Tito; I can't explain it in other terms, brah, except that you look like you had a lot of experience and knowledge of life…like you also had a…second self of sorts, and you were here for some reason, maybe looking for something you miss…

"You're right. I am missing something. It is something that I longed for. Having my family together, having friends, a job, the list goes on and on." Rod nodded as we started kicking a kickball around. "What do you think your biggest obstacle is? You seem very determined to move forward with your life." I kicked the ball back slowly to him, "I think it is a confidence issue. I know I can live on my own and such, but I enjoy living life like this. The adult life I live blows. My mother is just a depressing presence and is very abusive. That is why I retreated to Ocean Shores. Because I want to be around people that I trust." Lars overheard this and started to tease me, "Aww your mommy abandoned you?" I looked in Lars eyes "You seem to have issues with your self-esteem due to the lack of networking relationships you have." Lars was stunned.

"Wait, then you can't be eleven years old then, because no one that is eleven that can speak like this." I sighed and told him the truth. "Lars, do you remember the time I was with Laura(see Christmas Chaos) in Ocean Shores?"

"Then…you must be…" I nodded. "Yes, I am Aaron. The one and the same that pulled that baby prank on you several years ago." Lars was so stunned he couldn't speak. "I am sorry about that prank I pulled on you. It was so immature of me to do that to you, even though you were mean to everybody, you didn't deserve it." He started yelling at me. "YOU'RE SORRY?! YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT ABOUT THAT! YOU ARE A PATHETIC PIECE OF TRASH, I HOPE YOU DIE!" All of a sudden, I just lost it and punched Lars in the mouth. He went down, and I started to choke on him. Rod had to pull me off of Lars, who was bleeding from the lip. I started to re-assert myself "I don't run away from anything, Lars, not from the likes of you, or the likes of anybody. You sir, are a coward! You had four of your guys beat me up, because you know deep down in your gut that you couldn't take me on alone! And that goes for also picking on Otto and Twister. You are so damn pathetic!"

"Yeah, and I know your little secret about you. I overheard the other day that you live in a group home! You got what you deserved, bonehead! Whatever your mother did to you served you right." Lars just grinned and started to laugh. I got on my knees and let out a loud scream. I wanted Ocean Shores to feel my pain, my wrath and my angst. All of a sudden Twister and Otto showed up. They said they had a skating competition and wanted me to help them carry their gear to the skate park. I agreed to do it. Twister looked at me and asked me about Lars. "Yeah, he's always picking fights with everybody. Look, man, there's a night skate, and I want you and Otto to come with me. Boys night out!"

I started to smile again. This is the kind of life I wanted. Free from worries and all fun! I accepted the invitation to the skate. So, that night, I had a quick snack at Tito's and put on a red Tony Hawk shirt and Adidas shorts. Twister called me down the stairs. I ran so fast, that I tripped all the way down the staircase. Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet. I was so excited to go into the bowl, there was a limbo contest, bobbing for apples and other carnival themes. I played a little trick on Twister. I placed the bucket of water under him and told him to tie his shoes. He fell down and hit the water butt first. I was rolling on the floor laughing. Otto, then took a bucket of water and splashed it on me. Soon, a water fight ensued. We had so much fun, until midnight, and I decided to crash. I had to think about a skit for the school play coming up next.

End of Part V


	6. Chapter 6

Part VI

This is no good! I kept throwing pieces of paper in the trash. One after another. It must have been a few hundred I threw. I needed an idea for the play and fast. Then, I got a knock on the door. Since I was at Tito's, I was expecting him. But, it was Reggie. "Hey, Aaron, what's up?" I looked at her and said, "Nothing, I have to get this skit done." Then all of a sudden, I got tackled by her. I looked confused. "Pinned you!" She had that devious smile that was quite perplexing. Before I could say anything, she smothered me with a kiss, while on the bed. I didn't know what to say, but I started to accept it. I had never really experienced a kiss like that before in my life. Not even in my previous adult life. "Consider that your first kiss, boyfriend!" I just started to blush red. She just started to giggle, "You're so cute, Aaron. I always had my eye on you." Eye? I was completely stunned. I didn't know what to say, I was flabbergasted. "Don't say anything, Aaron. You don't need to. You were always so smart, handsome, but at the same time unsure of yourself. I'm just getting you there."

My emotions were just overwhelming me. All of a sudden, it felt like I was going into puberty again. "Reggie, I admit I was never kissed like that. I don't know if I deserve that kind of love." She sat down, shoulder in my arm. "Everyone deserves to have that kind of love and affection. I mean, you were always complaining about seeing others do it in public, you know hold hands together. "I guess this could work out, Reggie. But, I'm pretty inexperienced, you know with love." "That's why I am doing it, Aaron. I have always been behind you, no matter how tough life has gotten, whether that be as an adult or child." "But this is a little awkward, because I am technically an adult, albeit in a child's body."

"You sound too much like Sammy. Loosen up." "You need an idea for a play right? Well, we did start a band, you know, "No Worries" I thought about it. "Yeah! You guys were pretty decent. Are you thinking about a comeback? Because, I would be all for it." "A theme that would be suitable for our friendship, the five of us, being together." A lightbulb popped up in my mind. "How about Cheers?" Reggie gave me a blank stare. "Before you say no, here are the lyrics to the song."

Making your way in the world today Takes everything you've got; Taking a break from all your worries Sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? All those night when you've got no lights, The check is in the mail; And your little angel Hung the cat up by it's tail; And your third fiance didn't show; Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, And they're always glad you came; You want to be where you can see, Our troubles are all the same; You want to be where everybody knows your name. Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee's dead; The morning's looking bright; And your shrink ran off to Europe, And didn't even write; And your husband wants to be a girl; Be glad there's one place in the world Where everybody knows your name, And they're always glad you came; You want to go where people know, People are all the same; You want to go where everybody knows your name. Where everybody knows your name, And they're always glad you came; Where everybody knows your name, And they're always glad you came...

And I gave Reggie a look on for the song. "Wow, that is a heartwarming song! It fits perfectly for the play. Let's get the guys on this'. Then, I heard a knock on the door. It was Sam, Otto, and Twister with the instruments. "Wow, you guys knew about my idea?" Otto nodded. "Aaron, you are my best friend, and that's saying a lot. I want you to be the lead singer for this. I know how much you LOVE this song." I looked around the room, and knew for one of the first times in my life, I was accepted by a group of people. A group of people that cared about who you were and not what problems you have. People are truly the same, no matter how you look at it. This song just gave me a ray of hope that I needed.

A few hours later, we decided to surf. After all, the weather was eighty and sunny. Best of all, it wasn't even noon yet. I hooked up a good few waves with Otto and Twister, while Sam and Reggie decided to grab some rays. Ray and Tito were out jogging in ridiculous jumper suits. "Hey guys, how's it going? I'm trying to get Tito in shape for the yearly marathon in three weeks!" I just groaned. "Don't you remember the last time you tried that, Ray? It ended up with Tito faking an injury and us forcing him to work out." I paused and looked at Reggie. Automatically, I started to hold hands and started to kiss. "Sorry, Reggie. It was a reflex." Reggie just laughed, "It's okay, Aaron, just don't do it again." She winked. Then the others just started to laugh. "Aaron and Reggie, sitting up a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love…then…" I started to chase after Otto and Twister for that. I wasn't angry, you know it was a boy thing when you get teased like that. I suppose I had that one coming. Anyway, I decided to go the park with Sam to play some arcade games. Quite a day for me, wouldn't you say?

End of Part VI


	7. Chapter 7

Part VII

That night I had a vision. A vision that I was longing for. It was a reply from my adult counterpart. "I have finally done it, I am finally my own man. I live here now. So quit worrying and start living life. Give yourself to God and he will guide you through thick and thin." I woke up and was sweating heavily. I couldn't believe it. My problems were over. Just like that, every bad memory was being erased. But, oh how wrong, I was. The next day, I went downstairs and there was Rod. I had to explain the dream to him. "Looks like you have finally realized your dreams. Never forget the struggles you went through to get to where you are today. And that was the lesson you had to learn, Aaron. Never lose your inner child, never forget that is always going to be an instrumental part of your life." He then gave me a soft noogie.

"But, enough talk about serious stuff. I have a problem, and that is why I came to you. Let's ride." I agreed to his terms and we decided to bike to Eddie's pool for a pool party later that night. About halfway there, the chain on my bike snapped. "Ah, what am I going to do now?" What Rod did next was amazing. He got a 7 in 1 tool out of his pocket and started to work on my chain. "Need some help there?" "Nah, I have been doing this a few years." He grunted and groaned, until it was done. "There, brah, good as new!" I thanked him for the deed. "So, Rod, what was the problem you had?" Rod looked back at me, "You like Reggie don't, you, Aaron?" "Yeah, I love her!" I was getting a little fidgety when I answered that. I was almost embarrassed to be in love! Rod noticed that. "Yeah, she is one of my best friends! She's really nice! What I'm getting at is that I am in love with a girl." I asked who it was.

"Her name is Mackenzie. I met her in Lou's dojo the other day. Man, she's good! She's the first one who has thrown me to the floor!" "We started talking after the class, and... well... I like her! And I thought you... well.. maybe... could you give me some advice, brah??" I was absolutely shocked. "Rod, I have no idea about love! And let alone having Mackenzie as a girlfriend. That could be hazardous to your health! "I don't have a clue about love either, but it is fun!"

When we got to the pool party, Rod and I were in for the shock of our lives. There were no boys at all, except for Eddie. "Eddie, what's going on? I thought this was supposed to be a pool party, but there are all girls here! If Reggie catches me here, I am done for. I'm outta here, man!" Just then, someone tapped me as I was walking away. I jumped so high in the air, that I hit my butt so hard landing down. It was Reggie. "Aww, did the wittle boy hit his little tooshie on the way down?" "Reggie, I'm not a baby! Why do you tease me like that?" "Relax, Aaron, I only say that because I love you! Then, we walked to the pool and shoved me in. Everyone was laughing! "Rod, help me, those girls are going to drown me!" Rod just smirked at me. "Sorry, Aaron, but this is your initiation!" I thought, initiation to what? Reggie got into the pool with every girl pinning me down. I knew I was in for it. "Aaron, this is your lucky day." I grimaced, bracing for the worst. I thought I would be done in by a girl. "Please, please don't kill me! I'll do anything." I closed my eyes. All of a sudden, she was kissing me.

"Rod and I had a talk earlier today. We know what happened to your adult counterpart. He's getting his own place! Aaron, congratulations, you passed a big trial in your life. Just remember, all of your friends will be here as long as you live." Then, coming out of the house was my best friend, Otto. "Like me." Then Twister came out. "Then me!" Sammy was next, "And remember the Squid!" There was cake, cookies, ice cream, soda, every kids dream! Nothing that was healthy there, but all sugar! All of a sudden I was just having the time of my life! I never loved life like this before. After that, we drained the pool, of course, with Eddie's parents permission, and started to skate. Hours passed by, until night time, where I went back to Tito's with Reggie. Reggie had decided to come with me for the night and I agreed to that.

We were only a couple of blocks from the pier, then BAM!!! BAM!!! BAM!!! "Reggie, stay here, I will investigate this noise." "WHERE'S OUR MONEY?" Another punch to the stomach. Two people about 6 feet tall with ski masks were beating up on a silhouette. I went in for a closer look to see who it was. It was Lars. Reggie crawled to my side and was mortified. He was bleeding from the mouth, badly. "I don't know where your money is! I never wanted to start on drugs! I made a mistake when I agreed to sell them!" Another blow to the back of Lars sent him reeling. I couldn't stand to see him in this state anymore. So, I snuck as closely as I could. Lars got slapped in the face and the two laughed. I then went "HYAAAAAA!!!" Before one of them knew it, I kicked them in the groin. The other came lunging towards me, and I threw him into a trash can, just like Lou taught me earlier in martial arts.

"Aaron, Lars is in really bad shape! We need to get some help!" I nodded and asked for Reggie's cell phone. I called 911 and took my shirt off to help stop some of the bleeding from the cuts he had received. The policemen and ambulance were there. I gave my description to the policeman about the suspects. I told them I fended them off. "Well, you are a very brave young man, Aaron. If you didn't come in time, Lars might have lost his life." We decided to accompany Lars to the hospital. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but I wouldn't wish this on my worse enemy, Reggie." I started to cry a little. "Please, don't die, Lars. You can pull through." Just then, Lars opened his eyes. He looked very weak in his state. I held his hand. "Aaron and Reggie, thank you for helping me." Then, Lars faded off.

The technician took a look at him. I was crying badly. "It's okay, he won't die, he just has lost consciousness." When the gang caught the wind of what was happening, they too came to the hospital. All of them put get well cards next to his table. I just went down to my knees and prayed to God that he would be okay. Otto and Rod leaned over my shoulder as to tell me that Lars needed his rest. Even though my personal problems may have been over, I still felt like I had some work to do. There was some unfinished business here in Ocean Shores.


	8. Chapter 8

Part VIII

All the tragedy that had unfolded in my real adult life was getting to me. Failing the final exam, getting fired from my job, and now Lars badly wounded. I wondered if all the hell I was going through had a purpose to it. Why did all this crap happen to me? What is it about life that keeps me going? Before I could get more philosophical with the issues, there was a knock at the Rockets' door. Who could it be?

"Hi, brah! It was a long trip from the airport." I just stammered. "You must be Keoni!" "I've heard all about you and your great Hawaiian stories. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Aaron." "Let me guess, you got to come here, because you had straight A+'s again, right?" Keoni was stunned, "How did you know that, dude?" "The gang all told me about you, dude," I replied. "How about some skating, surfing, or something?" I could tell Keoni was tired from his trip from Hawaii. I decided to take him to the Shore Shack for some food.

"Thanks, brah, I really appreciate your kindness. How long have you been friends with Otto, Twister, Reggie and Sam?" "Longer than you know, longer than you know, dude. Now, let's do some skating at Mad-town!" Keoni and I had a really great time together all day long. It made me feel at ease about my worries. I was ready to open up to him and make a confession. "Keoni, I am not really who you think I am, dude. " "I know that, brah! You are a kid with a lot of worries on his mind right now. Am I right?" "Well, you are making a half-truth. I do have a lot on my mind right now. You see, Lars got badly hurt in a fight and has a broken collarbone. He had been drug-dealing for quite some time."

Keoni just listened to me deeply. It was as if he had the patience span of a Gandhi. "And I got fired from my job, too." "Fired? But you are just a kid!" "No, I am not. I am a forest child who came here from South Bend, Indiana to find myself. I am actually an adult living the life of a child right now. I am the inner child of him." Keoni looked puzzled. "You mean, this is an act of God?"

I nodded. "We sort of work together. Whenever he has a problem, he imagines that he is me, and that I exist for that very reason. In other words, I am here, because I have problems in my adult life. And perhaps, that can be solved with the mind of a child."

"But enough talk about this. We need to get back to Otto's, we have a surprise for you." We biked our way four miles north from the Shore Shack back to the Rocket home. I walked in the room with the lights out. 4,3,2…1! "HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY, KEONI!" "You guys did this for me?" Otto gave me a little bump, "Presents, Aaron?" I was such a klutz that I forgot that they were on the table. "This one is for you, dude. I ordered it about a month ago. It is a book about the Studebaker cars and a free tour to go along with it to the museum in my hometown anytime."

Then something totally unexpected happened. There was a knock on the door. It was Lars. I rushed to him and starting to hug him. "Hey, not so hard, dork! They told me I had to be in the cast for quite some time!" I started to cry. "Lars, I am just so happy you survived the mugging." Lars just smiled. "Hey, if it wasn't for you, man, I could be dead right now. Thanks, 'little bro'." Twister took objection to that. "Hey, I am his little brother! Don't tell me they adopted me away to some foreign country." I slapped my head in disbelief. "Twister, they aren't going to send you away for anything at all! It was an exaggeration. Sheesh!" "Lars, I think I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have judged you based on one action you did, but judge you as a person. I am sorry."

"Hey, don't get all sentimental on me, of course, I accept your apology! Instead of kissing each other, why don't you go to that radical pool party you have been talking about for a week." Otto and I grinned ear to ear. "Last one to the pool is a Squid!" We all rushed the pool, sans Lars, and made a huge splash, as if a whale had been swimming there. Of course, that made Mr. Stimpleton furious. "How many times have I told you not to go into my pool like that?" I gave a smart-aleck answer, "Zero, because that is the first time I ever had been in your pool before!" The whole gang just laughed at that. Violet also chimed in "Oh, Merv, it's just a pool!" "No, it's my life's work!" I shook my head as to say "Is that man crazy?". Other than that, we had hours of fun, until it was time to go to bed.

I got to sleep with Otto, since there were 5 other kids sleeping in separate rooms. What a birthday party it was! "Otto, I need to tell you something." "Yeah, dude?" "I think you are cool." "Yeah, I know that!" "No, I really like you, man." "Aaron, that is gross! Yuck!" "No, not like that, Otto. You give me the will and determination to go on when I am feeling down. You picked me up when I needed to." "Hey, that's what friends are for, bro." Pillow fight, I shouted. He whacked me upside the head with it that I was down in a matter of seconds and he pinned me. "Give up, man?" "No, I don't." I escaped from him and started jumping up and down on the bed. Otto followed. "This is awesome, I am doing a 540 flip!" We were laughing and Ray came up and said "KNOCK IT OFF!" Then, we giggled like a couple of school boys. Well, we were, technically, but you know what we mean.

End of Part VIII


	9. Chapter 9

Part IX

I felt something wet waking me. I got my eyes barely open when Otto said "Wake up, Aaron!" He was squirting me with a Super Soaker 540. I mischievously smiled. "Oh you are, dead, Otto! Get over here!" I playfully wrestled with him and there was Reggie watching the spectacle unfold. "Reggie, this isn't what it looks like! Otto squirted me! He started it!" "Oh, you two grow up!" "Besides, today, we have to go to the movies then your martial arts lesson. Dad wanted me to remind you of that. I am after all, your 'big sister'." I then went to shower and change into my clothes for today. Ray was cooking eggs, bacon, and toast. "Aaron, are you going to go to Otto's big skating competition in two hours?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I will go to his competition. He is after all, my best bro! I even have a camera all set up for him." Otto walked behind me and started giving me noogies. "Hey, cut it out, O-man! I have a reputation to keep up!" Reggie just laughed, "Sounds like someone I know! Come on, we need to bike over to Twister and Sam's, so they can see the competition." We first hit Twister's house. "Hey guys, I am having trouble here. Can you give me a minute?" All of us just laughed. Then I went on to say "Twister, you got on your shirt all wrong. You have your head in one of the sleeves. And your shorts are on backwards." "They are?" I nodded, but I couldn't help but snicker. Let's get Sammy in on the action. A few minutes later, we headed over to Sam's. He, as usual, was doing a computer game. Otto yanked him off the keyboard and we went to Mad-town Skate Park for the competition. I was doing the filming, since Twister was in the competition as ell. Otto was entered in the vertical competition, while Twister was doing street.

Otto blew by the competition, as usual doing a lot of lip tricks and spins. He made it all the way to the finals, where his competition would be against Animal. Usually, Animal was a man of few words, but clearly he said "You are going down, shrimp-boy!" The crowd booed him loudly. After Animal's two minutes were up, the judges scored 9.7, 9.8, and 9.5. "Beat that, hot shot!" Otto, with a fierce look of determination and grit put on him helmet. And I encouraged him, "Go Otto! You can beat that loudmouth!" His run was awe-inspiring, which included a 720-degree spin, multiple ollies, and finally the 900, which only Tony Hawk could pull off before him. The crowd roared furiously. The judges scored 10.0, 10.0, and 11? I was totally shocked. An 11? That was a pretty awesome run, but I never thought a judge could do it, and they told him that, so he gave Otto only a 10.0.

Twister did well as well, placing 2nd place in street, which was not his specialty. Reggie had been working with him in the past two weeks on his grinds and stunts, so he could finish respectably in the competition. But no one thought he would do that well in the competition. "Wow, 2nd place, I never did that well. I hit all my grinds, but unfortunately, I tripped on the last turn on the bowl." "It's okay, Twister, that's better than I can do. I leave the skating to the experts like yourself."

Then, it was off to my martial arts lesson. Today, I was testing for my brown belt. Rod and Lou looked at me and asked "Aaron, are you ready for your test?" I had been doing taekwondo for a few years, but testing has always been a nerve wrack for me. But with encouragement, I remembered all the requirements from my testing sheet and remembered all my forms. Then, it came to breaking my boards. I did a shuffle side kick on two boards, breaking them into 3 pieces. And Otto was amazed. "Wow, now that's power! Rocket Power, that is!" Next, I did a back kick on one board. That was no problem at all. I now had to do a jump front kick, but I was really nervous about that one, because I didn't consider that to be one of my power kicks at all. I had to put my right foot in front and jump with my left foot in the air, and kick with the right. I took a few deep breaths, then focused all my power into that board. And to my amazement, the board broke!

I was greeted with cheers and everyone was telling me how amazing that was. Usually, I wasn't very humble, but I was overwhelmed with such praise, I didn't understand how to handle it. My four friends congratulated me on the achievement. Reggie looked at me and said "With all that has gone on with you the past few months, I am proud of you. You focused on a goal and you achieved it." She wrapped her shoulder around me and then, the three of them carried my 11 year old body out of the dojo with Rod and Lou looking on, impressed. Rod stated, "He is starting to get it. To believe in yourself, is the ultimate strength one can have." Ray and Tito were out there to greet me and the four of us went to Applebee's, then a movie. The movie we saw was the Dark Knight. Since it was PG-13, Tito accompanied along with us. Tito was hiding beneath the chair the whole time, since he was scared of all that violence in the movie. We just laughed at that, while we were drinking our soda and eating our popcorn.

This is what life is supposed to be like. Having fun with your friends, believing that you can be the best person you can be everyday. Setting goals for yourself, then reaching them. Sure, life is full of hardships, and whatnot, but it only serves to fuel my fire to do better every time I am up and awake at it. And Otto is a physical reminder of why I live and breathe on this planet, Earth. He may have an ego at times, but his heart and determination always inspired me to be the best I can be. I don't try to be Otto, I try to be Aaron. Little did I know I was going to be in for the shock of my life soon. I just hope it isn't the bad kind of shock either. I was never good with surprises anyway. Then, after I got home, I dressed into my pajamas. Tomorrow was going to be another big day in the life of my 2nd childhood.

End of Part IX


	10. Chapter 10

Part X

Reggie rang me early. "Aaron! We're going to get some material for a special project. We ...could get wet, so make sure you're wearing your trunks." "Done deal," I replied, half agreeing and half curious. I downed a croissant and some orange juice, then a few minutes later Ray came by in the woodie with Reggie, Twister, and Sam. We headed over to the marina. Keoni and Otto were waiting for us at the dock with a Zodiac, and off we motored for a short distance into the open sea. Sammy was watching a screen on his phone. "Over there, that a way" he pointed, and Otto steered the craft in that direction. A few minutes later, Sam pronounced "We're there!" and Otto cut the motor. Twister lowered an anchor over the side, Keoni opened a large plastic box on deck and handed out diving masks and swim fins to everyone.

"What is this place?" I asked. "Shell Shoals," answered everybody else, almost at once while we put our gear on. "Go in and have a look!" Twister urged, playfully nudging me into the water. Under the shallow water, I could see that the bottom was covered with empty shells of every size and description. It was perhaps, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. "Why are we doing this?" I asked. Reggie explained to me there was a local video contest here in Ocean Shores for kids and the top prize was 1,000 for the group, 2nd place got 500, and 3rd place got 250. "So, there has to be six people in each group only." I swam even deeper into the water and saw some beautiful coral reefs and schools of fish.

"Twister, you have to get this excellent footage! This is going to look great on video!" "Wait, what is that?" Keoni and Otto spotted something further down the depths. It was a treasure chest! Otto replied, "Yeah, we're going to be rich beyond our dreams!" Sam, ever the realist, said "How are we going to get that thing up there? It is stuck so deep in the sand, about a good foot or two deep. Keoni agreed "Yeah, I don't think the six of us could carry that thing up." Otto shook his head. "Well, that's not going to stop me. "Wait, Otto, I don't think, that's a great idea," Reggie replied. I told Reggie, well, when does he ever listen to you?

Finally, after three long minutes, Otto just gave in. "Man, that is too heavy!" "Let's go a little further out." We agreed to do so, when a giant fish approached us. It was the 500 pound fish that Ray was bragging about and Otto told me the legend. It may not have been 500 pounds, but it was shaking our boat, that I was afraid we were going to drown. "We're all going to die", Sam cried. Twister interjected "We're not, you big baby. It's only a fish!" Then, by accident, Twister grabbed the fish's fin, and it was dragging him out to sea.

"I got it on camera," I said. "This is totally unbelievable. No one would think such a giant fish existed." Reggie snapped "How are we supposed to get Twister back?" Keoni had an idea. He told Twister to let go of the fin! I threw him a life raft, and he swam back to the boat. I asked him if he was okay. He nodded. "That was the scariest thing I have ever seen. And it isn't gone yet." "I have an idea", I said. I got some fish from my backpack and threw it as far as I could. That got the large monster off our backs for good.

We dove again, and saw a sunken ship. This was the most unbelievable footage I have ever seen in my life. "Sam, how old do you think this ship is?" "By judging on the marks and the aging of it, I would say it is around 250-300 years old. After all, I have been studying the aging and decaying processes in school last year. Fascinating stuff, really." I went into the ship, and found a few brass rings. "Do you think we should take them to a historical society", Reggie asked. I had a plastic box, and I put them in there.

We also spotted some turtles and jellyfish in the sea. It was the most awe-inspiring thing I have ever seen. The beauties of the sea spoke to me like a pizza to my stomach. I know, food analogy, but that's the best I can do. I wasn't too crazy about diving at first, but I had faith in my friends that things would turn out well. Friends can help you overcome fears that you have, that you never thought you could overcome. Nothing, in my, opinion beats the power of friendship. We got out of the water about half an hour after that thought. Keoni looked at me and smiled. "Oh, Aaron, I forgot, I wanted you to have this. It is a pendant I found while surfing back in my hometown of Hawaii. They say that pendants are a symbol of friendship. I want you to have this, brah."

We weren't done filming by any stretch of the imagination. We didn't just want to win this contest, we wanted to destroy it! So, we decided to go to Rocket Beach and film what makes this beach great. It was convenient that there was a sandcastle competition, and Sam had to bring up that it was years ago, when they defeated Oliver Van Rossum, even though it really wasn't a sandcastle that was built. So, we decided to interview some folks that were building the sandcastles. Reggie and Otto would do the reporting, Twister would do the filming, and Keoni and I were to be the 'news anchors'. We called our group "Rocket News."

This was turning out to be a lot of fun. So much so, that I forgot this was even a contest. We even decided to shoot from Mad-town, for the heck of it, to get some footage of Otto and Reggie doing their best tricks from the half-pipe. This goes to show that teamwork can get you anywhere. Heck, I never had been involved in such a fun project before in my life. The best was yet to come, as the day wound to an end and everyone needed some sleep. Being 11 again totally rocked!

End of Part X


	11. Chapter 11

Part XI

I woke up, all drowsy, and Otto was in my face. Come on, we're going to the ballpark! I was confused. "What ballpark?" I went downstairs to ask Ray what the heck was going on. "You guys, are going to Chicago, to go catch a Cubs game." I couldn't believe it. How did they know that I was a Cubs fan? Otto interjected "Well, for starters, you wear a Cubs hat everywhere you go, and you scream at the TV every time you watch a Cubs game and we have to go into the next room." That wasn't all that was given to me. I got a Derrick Lee jersey. He's my favorite player. 6 foot 5, plays first base and has some Gold Gloves(for best defensive player at that position.). I always dreamed of going to play at Wrigley Field at first base my whole life.

"And that's not all," Ray said. "You get to meet the players in the locker room." I couldn't believe it. I tried my whole life to meet a celebrity, and now I get to meet the whole Chicago Cubs team. "Your flight is in an hour, and Reggie, Twister, Otto and Sam are already in the car!" Before I went into the car, I grabbed a bat, and showed them how to swing a bat properly. Sam gave me an underhanded pitch, and I whacked it right across the street into the pool about 200 feet away. "Wow, you hit really well, Aaron." "Well, with anything, good hitting requires patience. You just don't swing at anything you want to. Don't swing at anything high or low. Swing at something right around your stomach area."

We arrived at the airport, and once again, Twister managed to make a fool out of himself, seeing that there was a costumed guy in a monkey suit. "They're back! Run for your lives!" "Twister, that is the peanut vendor." Otto and Reggie just laughed and bought several bags for the flight. We boarded the plane. "This flight is from Ocean Shores to Chicago, Illinois and will take about 3 hours. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves." I grinned at Otto. "Let's gross everyone out!" "1, 2, 3!" And we both ripped one. Otto laughed "That was great! I needed that!" Reggie looked in disgust and gave us 'the look'. "I'm the one in charge here, and since I am the oldest, you two better stop, or I will call Ray, and we'll ship you back to Ocean Shores."

We just hid our heads in shame. Then Reggie said "Bust! I got you two good!" She let one loose in good nature. Eventually, we got to Chicago, and took the bus to Wrigley Field to watch batting practice and get some autographs. They would be playing their arch-rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Everyone in Chicago was feeling pennant fever, since the Cubs were in first-place and the Cardinals were nipping at their heels. Half an hour before the game, I asked Twister and Otto to go get us some popcorn and soda. Sam had to use the restroom, so it was just Reggie and me!

Then, Reggie got me in a headlock and just started to hug me! That certainly gave me the biggest shock, as I started to kiss her. I thought it would be a private moment, but no! It was captured on the local station, WGN. "Keep, kissing, Aaron!" The crowd just went "Awww! That's so cute!" Eventually, the game would be underway, and it was a nip and tuck game all the way, until the Cardinals struck with a grand slam, making their lead 4-3, going into the 9th. The Cardinals manager decided to walk Derrick Lee, to bring up Cubs 3rd baseman, Aramis Ramirez. The first two pitches were strikes. I couldn't watch. It was like watching a train wreck and watching someone getting trampled under it.

I crossed my fingers "It has to be a curveball inside." Sure enough it was, and Ramirez swung with the full force of a sledgehammer trying to ring the bell at a circus game. He got all of the ball at the heart of the bat. It was going to left field. And it was like watching it in slow motion. It cleared the fence, and the Cubs won! I spilled all my soda on the whole gang and started to throw popcorn around, like fireworks at a 4th of July event! I high-fived a Cubs fan and did a chest bump with Otto! "That was awesome! It felt like winning the World Series, and that was a big, big win!"

We all went down to the field and the locker room to interview some of the players in the locker room. It was an unbelievable sight. There were TVs, ice cream machines, soda machines and tons upon tons of candy! It was a kid's dream! Aramis Ramirez went up to me and said "Go ahead, help yourself." I forgot to introduce myself to him. "Hi, I'm Aaron!" I asked him a question, "Did you look for a curveball on the top half of the plate?" "Because it was righty on righty, they tried to jam you, but you muscled that out." Aramis just smiled "Yeah, it was. He left it hanging a little, and I swung as hard as I could. Say, you know a bit about baseball. How would you like to throw around for a while?" Otto couldn't believe it. Neither could I! "Throw around on Wrigley Field? Are you serious?" I fainted.

Fortunately, I recovered from the shock of that and went out to throw. We got some gloves, balls, bats, cards. And they were all signed by the 2008 Chicago Cubs. It was a blast throwing it around. We even had dinner together with the whole team at TGI Friday's. Of course, I ate the bacon cheeseburger and fries, since I was a burger person. We stayed in Chicago for the next few days, touring the Museum of Art, Sears Tower, and downtown Chicago. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget. Life is great with your friends! However, we had to be back the next day, for the judges will announce on local TV which team brought back first prize in the video contest. So much excitement, so much angst. I couldn't wait much longer! We did an awesome job, now we have to hope for the best!

End of Part XI


	12. Chapter 12

Part XII

To my disappointment, the Cubs did choke in the playoffs and we didn't win the video contest. Sometimes adversity hits and you have to get back up. I was bummed out, because I thought we did a great job. Otto perked me up and said "Hey, life happens, you just have to rise above the stuff, man." "Yeah, this coming from a guy who will do anything to win." I was being sarcastic in my tone and the gang laughed. Except for Twister. "But Otto, does want to win." I shook my head in disbelief. "That's the whole point of everything, dude!" We biked down to the beach for some surfing. It was a fine October day, at about 78 degrees Fahrenheit. My birthday was actually today, and I totally forget about it.

So, what happened next was totally unexpected. An hour after we surfed, they took me to the Shore Shack, where the lights were just pitch black. Otto, Sam and Twister were by my side, but no Reggie. I could nary see a thing. Then everyone shouted "SURPRISE!" I was so shocked, that I accidentally tripped over one of the chairs adjacent to my body. Reggie picked me up, and there was about the biggest chocolate cake there. I don't know why it was there, but Ray said "Didn't you forget it is your birthday today! Happy 12, Aaron!" Ray gave me the first gift. It was a picture of the whole Ocean Shores gang, including Ray and Tito and inscribed in it was "To Aaron: Follow your dreams and never give up. May happiness follow wherever you go in life. –Otto, Reggie, Twister, Sam, Ray, and Tito."

Next was a present from Otto and Reggie. It was a custom made skateboard with stars on the back of it, with a red and black deck and my name inscribed in cursive in the middle of bottom part of the skateboard, which had the color pink on it. It was truly amazing. "Otto and I spent our year's allowance, and thought that might be something special to you. I also arranged a special session with Conroy on how to skateboard at anytime you want to." "I don't know what to say, Otto and Reggie. This is really special to me, and it is something I will treasure something for the rest of my life."

Suddenly, I lost all consciousness. I saw an apparition, that said to me "Aaron, it is time for you to go back home. Home to where you belong. Where your family is. Where your life is." I started to cry. Everything was perfect as a kid, I said. Then the spirit said, "No, nothing is ever perfect. Life isn't perfect at all. I hope you learned that friends and family are crucial to your success and also to your happiness." Then I woke up, crying my eyes out. It was as if they knew I had some sad news.

"Ray, Tito, thanks for having me here. But, I have to be honest here. I am not who you really think I am. I am not 12, but rather trapped inside this body as an adult. I was brought back here, by a spirit, to solve my life's problems. And now that I have gained a year's worth of experience on how to deal with what life throws at me, I have to go home, guys." I couldn't control my tears anymore. "You meant a great deal to me in my personal growth. You guys took me in when no one else would. You knew I was different from everyone else, but you accepted me for who I am and saw the good inside me."

"I love you all very much. And goodbyes are not forever. I will come back and visit someday." "We know, Aaron. Don't be sad. It's a trek I myself have made, more than once..." I biked back to Ray's house to pack up my stuff and return to the forest, from where I came from. Before I could leave, there were the four that I saw a year earlier. They too, showed tears in their eyes. Otto walked up to me. "Aaron, you have shown me, no matter what bad things happened to you, that you have the strength and determination to get back up and inspired us to do the same. Now it is our turn to give you the strength. Because we are friends forever." He gave me a pendant that had a Rocket symbol on it and I placed it over my neck.

I then, walked in the portal that brought me to this place. I was finally home, finally back in my adult body, in my own place. "I love you guys." I cried that over and over again, and then my cat Rocco was there to greet me with about the loudest purr you could ever imagine. I put him on my lap and started petting him. There, next to the couch were all the gifts given to me. But, mysteriously, there was also a helmet there, just like Otto's! There was a note inside of it.

"To Aaron:

Age is just a number, but friends are forever. 'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change.' You are always going to hold a special place in our hearts. You have overcome a lot of things and you should be proud of yourself. Don't cry for us, we will always be a call away. Your friends, -Otto, Reggie, Twister, Sam."

Enclosed in there were some cell phone numbers, so I could talk to each one of them. I finally stopped crying and remember all the good times we had for the past year and knew, no matter how old I got, there would always be an inner child in me. Then, I got a phone call from my brother. "Where have you been? It has been two days!" Two days?! "I can't believe that. I thought I was gone for a year." Must have been a dream! "Yeah, bro, you have been drinking too much Pepsi these days." I had to laugh. "Let's meet for lunch, you won't believe my story." It was a story of stories, one for the ages. Like they say, life's not a destination, but a journey.

THE END


End file.
